3 Ways to Protect Yourself (and Your Belongings!) from Bailiffs

3 Ways to Protect Yourself (and Your Belongings!) from Bailiffs

*Ding dong…* -The sound of the doorbell is usually good news. Maybe your parcel has arrived, your takeaway is being delivered or your neighbours are round for tea.

However, if you owe council tax arrears, something as simple as the doorbell ringing can be very stressful!

Bailiffs act as debt enforcement agents for local councils. They are well-known for using scare tactics and intimidation to seize debtors wages and possessions.

But what is not well-known is what ordinary people can do to protect themselves from bailiffs.

Bailiffs deliberately use ambiguous language when contacting you – in letters or on your doorstep. This is to intimidate you into thinking they are more powerful than they are and that you have to do as they command – or else…

However, in most cases, this just isn’t true.

The Government has made sure that what bailiffs are legally allowed to do is heavily legislated, and there are plenty of protections in place to protect people in debt from bailiffs using underhand tactics.

If you know your rights and make sure you act entirely within the law, you can prevent bailiffs from seizing your belongings and wages – or stall them so you have time to seek expert independent advice.

Here are 3 things you can do to protect yourself and your belongings from bailiffs.

1. You do not have to tell them where you work

When you owe debts like council tax arrears, the first thing your creditor will do is pass if you cannot pay is pass your debts to a bailiff company. The bailiff will go to court to take out a ‘liability order’’ against you. This gives the bailiffs the right to take payments for your debts directly out of your wage packet!

Bailiffs will not hesitate to arrest your wages or possessions, which could put you in further trouble financially. However, they can only do this if they know who pays your wages. Our straight-forward advice – don’t tell them where you work.

You are not obliged to give the bailiffs any information, so don’t help them take your money away.

It is possible that bailiffs may find out how you where you are working through other means – they might even ask your neighbours! If you are on good terms with your neighbours, ask them not to give away any gossip.

This will hold off bailiffs for a while, but will only be temporary. Make sure you seek expert advice as soon as you find out you have a liability order taken out against you.

2. Take control of your finances

Debts are like your mum’s phone calls – you can’t get away with ignoring them forever! It is always best to grab the bull by the horns and deal with debt before it spirals out of control.

When a liability order has been taken against you will be contacted by post informing you the details of your outstanding debt. As soon as this happens, contact the an independent debt advisor and see if you can organise an affordable payment plan. This could allow you to pay your debt in regular instalments on your own terms, rather than the money being seized directly from your wages.

You will need to provide a comprehensive budget that details all your income and outgoing expenditure. If you need help calculating this, please seek expert advice so you can make sure your payments are as affordable as possible.

3. Don’t help them do their job

While you should always be polite and respectful, you should always remember that a bailiffs purpose is to collect the debt from you any way they can.

You are not obliged to help a bailiff in any way unless they have a specific court order that allows them to go above and beyond their usual restrictions.

So, make sure you:

Don’t give out any personal details, such as your bank details, where you work or your phone number. They will use this information to find new avenues to extract your debt from you.

Don’t leave anything in your front garden. While bailiffs usually need an exceptional attachment order to seize your possessions, there are some cases where they can take bicycles, motorcycles and even cars from outside the front of your property without a court order. Keep these possessions in a secure location if you are worried about them being taken.

Don’t let them in your house. Unless the bailiffs have a specific court order, you do not have to let them into your house. Once you let them in, they do not need permission to re-enter, so just don’t let them in. If a bailiff tries to force their way into your home without the proper authority, make sure you complain to the Society of Messengers-at-Arms and bailiff about this misconduct.

Don’t open the door. It is usually advised that you talk to bailiff through the letterbox, an open window or the open door with the chain on. It is well within your rights to do this and will help you feel more protected against potential intimidation.

The above information will certainly help you protect yourself from the bailiff for as long as possible.

However, it won’t get them off your back forever.

If you want to stop bailiffs, make sure you get in touch with a debt advisory service as soon as possible to help you stay on top of your debts.

UK Debt Relief is a completely free service that specialises in negotiating with bailiffs and getting you out of debt – free of charge.

If you need any further advice from UK Debt Relief, click here and enter your details to request a free consultation over the phone with one of our expert debt advisors.

Our sympathetic team can help you find the best debt solution for your financial situation.

Fill in the form below and one of our helpful representatives will call you back to see how we can help you.

Who are UK Debt Relief?

When you are in trouble with bailiffs, facing mounting debts or cannot afford to pay your Council Tax, come to us. We help ordinary people get in control of their debts as soon as possible. Our ultimate goal is to help the people of the UK to clear their debts, and to stop those with existing debts from getting into more trouble with their creditors. Luckily we are able to offer you our advice service for free because we are paid by the solution providers.

UK Debt Relief

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Free and Impartial Debt Advice Is Also Available From: Money Advice ServiceDisclaimer: We work with a carefully selected panel of debt solution providers and, once you have qualified and accepted our terms, we will introduce you to them to look after the management and administration of your recommended plan. Our service is 100% free to use and you are under no obligation to accept any of the quotes or product offers that you receive. Debt solutions subject to conditions and acceptance. If you choose to restructure your debt repayments over a longer period of time it could cost you more. Your ability to obtain credit will be affected in the short term and may also be affected in the medium to long term. If you enter into an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA), a debt relief order (DRO), a protected trust deed or become bankrupt the details will be recorded in the Insolvency Register. Calls are recorded for training and monitoring purposes. Flexx Digital does not administer debt management or insolvency products. You may be referred to our approved providers if we feel that this is appropriate and the best advice in your situation. Flexx Digital may be paid a referral fee for introducing you to one of our approved providers.